Cheated of oxygen supply at doorstep, teacher loses wife

New Delhi: A school teacher lost his wife after he was cheated on the pretext of doorstep delivery of an oxygen cylinder in Rohini district. Police have registered a case in this regard.

Vinod Jindal, a government school teacher, was searching for an oxygen cylinder for his wife . "I checked all WhatsApp groups and saw a message about doorstep oxygen cylinders delivery. I made a call on the given contact number", Vinod said.

The person, who picked the phone call, told Vinod that he has to pay Rs 25,000 for the home delivery of the oxygen cylinder.

"I sent the money as I had no other option" he said. After some time, when the cylinder was not delivered, Vinod again made a phone call to the person. "I asked him the reason about the delay. He replied me that, on the way to my house, police seized his oxygen cylinder," Vinod said.

That person told Vinod to send Rs 10,000 for the release of the cylinder. "After hearing all this I knew I was cheated and my wife died due to non-supply of oxygen on time on April 30," Vinod said. The devastated husband also added that he had told the fraudster that his wife's condition was serious. "I was in dire need of oxygen I tried everything to save my beloved wife but she died," he said.

After the death, Vinod informed all What's App group members about the fraud. "I alerted all group members not to call on that phone number," he said. In a complaint to Delhi Police, Vinod wrote that his wife oxygen level was 44. "No oxygen cylinder was supplied and my wife passed away this tragic end due to non-supply of oxygen on time," he wrote to police.

Delhi Police have registered a case on May 5 under sections 419 (Punishment for cheating by personation) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).

It was not the first case, on Friday, Vasant Kunj (South) police team arrested one Sunny for duping several distressed people or relatives of Covid positive patients on the pretext of providing them blood plasma.

"He cheated seven distressed people for an amount of Rs. 1 lakh on the pretext of providing plasma donor to their Covid positive relatives in hospitals," an official said.

Meanwhile, an 87-year-old man died in the absence of oxygen support in Vikaspuri area. Police said the deceased's grandson was cheated by a fraudster on the pretext of oxygen supply. One accused identified as Aman was arrested.